Sponsorship in Motor Racing.

[khyndart in CA]

49 years ago, January 6, 1968. I went to the New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe and watched Jim Clark and Chris Amon battle for the lead plus Denis Hulme's devastating crash late in the race. Sitting on the Hill that day with friends and family little did I realise that I was witnessing the end and beginning of an era. The era of the great Jim Clark was to sadly end in April 1968 and the era of tobacco sponsorship in motor racing was about to begin.
Restrictions on advertising in racing had been lifted for the 1968 season and Colin Chapman did not mess around and procured the Imperial Tobacco Company's Gold Leaf cigarette brand to sponsor his Lotus Team.
After winning the opening Formula One South African Grand Prix on Monday Jan. 1st 1968, Jim and the team flew to Auckland so he could prepare to race at Pukekohe for the opening round of the 1968 Tasman Series on the Saturday ! That must have been a hectic week for all involved.
The Team Lotus 49 raced in the familiar colours of British Racing Green and Gold stripe that weekend.
Two weeks later after racing at Levin, on January 20th, the Gold Leaf Team Lotus appeared for the first time to the world in what was almost the beginning of tobacco sponsorship in motor racing.
.
Jim Clark waiting on grid at Pukekohe. Jan 6 .1968. in his Team Lotus 49, ahead of the BRMs of Pedro Rodriguez and Bruce McLaren.
(Hyndman is somewhere in the crowd on the hill in the background. )


Two weeks later in Christchurch, Jim Clark proudly sits in his newly sponsored "Gold Leaf" Team Lotus 49.


Jan. 20. 1968. Jim Clark in his "Gold Leaf" Lotus 49 battling with Chris Amon's Ferrari at Wigram.
(What great memories and great racing. )


(Ken Hyndman )

[Ray Bell]

It certainly was a change seeing the cars painted up like cigarette packets...

Previously, tobacco sponsorship had been of circuits, corners and races. I guess, however, there must have been some tobacco money going into cars somewhere.

Incidentally, there was consternation over this development in Australia, where Team Lotus were to race a couple of weeks later. Thus far the rules had not been rewritten and it all had to happen in a hurry.

[khyndart in CA]

p.s. If you think Jimmy Clark is looking tanned and happy in that photo, here is the reason why. He enjoyed his time in New Zealand during the Tasman Series as shown in this photo at Lake Taupo and also note in the background no one even recognises who he is !






(Ken H )

[ERC]

Although a non-smoker, but from Nottingham, where John Player was then a major employer (along with Raleigh bicycles and Boots the Chemists), the Gold Leaf livery was extremely smart as was the later JPS livery, but I was still a BRM supporter and proudly wore my Yardley jacket - until BRM switched to Marlboro!

Incidentally, I never smoked, then or now, so tobacco sponsorship was far more about branding than encouraging people to smoke, though I do believe there were many giveaways at major events...

I do recall that Durex and Femfresh rather bucked the trend...

[Jac Mac]

Nothings changed much then, Lewis Hamilton was apparently on holiday in South Island/West Coast a couple of weeks ago and not many noticed.

[khyndart in CA]

The first car to advertise in Formula One was John Love at the 1968 South African Grand Prix driving a Brabham BT 20 Repco.
It has sponsorship from the Rhodesian tobacco company, Gunston, which would sponsor John and others in South Africa for a number of years. What a great way to advertise by putting your name on a race car. Who had heard of Gunston before they sponsored racing ?
At least I had not.


When sponsoring a race car you always hope for a positive winning image if possible. Sometimes it does not work out that way as seen here. Fortunately John Love was not seriously hurt in this accident in 1971 at Kyalami in his "Team Gunston" Surtees TS 9.

[Ray Bell]

When we were flag marshalling at Warwick Farm film crews would often join us on our flag point...

And they would ask us to take a puff on a smoke as they filmed us, giving them some subliminal grabs to mix the 'glamour' of smoking in with the racing.

I never smoked either. When formal cigarette advertising was banned, country after country, putting their names on racing cars was a good way keep their names before the public. And they had lots of money to do this...

...and buy genuine less harmful businesses. Like Coca Cola Bottlers Australia, Nabisco, Miller Brewing, Kraft Foods, General Foods, Zurich Insurance and so on.

[khyndart in CA]

Jim Clark's final race at Hochenheim,Germany is about to start. April 7 1968. He is on the grid in his 'Gold Leaf Team Lotus " Formula 2 next to his good friend and rival Chris Amon in his F2 Ferrari
I find it hard to imagine Jimmy in a modern day helmet.
Jimmy you were "bloody brilliant" and racing was never the same without you.





(Ken H )

[GD66]

The Team Lotus 49 raced in the familiar colours of British Racing Green and Gold stripe that weekend.
Two weeks later after racing at Levin, on January 20th, the Gold Leaf Team Lotus appeared for the first time to the world in what was almost the beginning of tobacco sponsorship in motor racing.

Just to clarify, Levin was on the 13th, and the GLTL cars debuted at Wigram on the 20th.

Clark running off at Levin, still in green.

[khyndart in CA]

GD
Thanks for clarifying what I tried to input. Yours is much better with photos.
Appreciate it.
Ken

[Ray Bell]

I always felt robbed that I never did see the 49 in green and yellow...

I fully expected to, of course.

[Andrew Metford]

Did Yardley sponsor McLaren or BRM first? I always liked the look of the Yardley McLarens.

[928]

that is what happens when you live in the western isles Ray

[GD66]

I always felt robbed that I never did see the 49 in green and yellow...
I fully expected to, of course.

And rightly so, Ray.

Maybe this pic from Kyalami '68 will help...

[ERC]

Did Yardley sponsor McLaren or BRM first? I always liked the look of the Yardley McLarens.

BRM first. The Yardley sponsorship then went to McLaren and BRM went to Marlboro, where they overstretched themselves running up to 5 cars! (Louis Stanley wanted to run 6!!!)

[GD66]

Thought those Yardley-BRMs looked magic ! Double fizz later in '74 season with Emmo and Denny in the Texaco-Marlboro McLarens, also running Hailwood in Yardley colours.

[ERC]

Wasn't Raymond Mays one of the first to gain sponsorship, with his Bugattis, 'Cordon Bleu' and 'Cordon Rouge'?

[khyndart in CA]

I liked this painting by Richard Wheatland entitled "Lap 14" which was the last lap that Jo Stiffert drove at Brands Hatch in his 1971 Yardley BRM P 160-02 before his tragic crash at Hawthorns. October 24 . 1971.



In 1972 the Yardley McLaren M19 was a splendid looking race car and rewarded the new sponsors with a win at the 1972 South African
Grand Prix and driven by Denis Hulme.
This a photo of the 1972 car for Peter Revson after a recent restoration.

(Ken Hyndman photo )

[khyndart in CA]

Philip Morris began sponsoring F1 with the British Racing Motors (BRM) team in 1972 with the creation of ‘Marlboro BRM’,
In 1972 the company flew journalists to the team's French launch at Circuit Paul Ricard, at which the racing car emerged from a giant Marlboro cigarette packet, achieving widespread media publicity.




( Ken Hyndman )

[John H]

I can still see the great Jim Clark drifting over the top at Rothmans straight arms driving on practice day behind the yellow tint screen....Little did we know. But what a great memory.